President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted to his social media channels on Valentine's Day an announcement of an open house celebration for the Salt Lake Temple. President Nelson invited people around the world to take part in this unique opportunity, which will take place from April 2027 - October 2027.
President Nelson says, “On February 14, 1853, a groundbreaking ceremony in Salt Lake City began a 40-year journey of faith and sacrifice, culminating in the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893.
“A current and comprehensive renovation to strengthen this sacred house of the Lord for future generations is now nearing completion.
“Today, exactly 172 years after the groundbreaking ceremony, I am delighted to announce that the temple will reopen for tours during a public open house from April 2027 to October 2027.
“We warmly invite our friends to come and learn about God’s plan for His children and rejoice in the love of Jesus Christ. Details about this event will be shared as April 2027 approaches.
“As houses of the Lord now dot the earth, I invite you to cherish your time and service at the temples closest to you as we prepare for the reopening of the Salt Lake Temple in 2027.”
The Salt Lake City Temple renovation has hit another milestone. Recently, the vertical coring was completed. The 3-year process has included drilling 46 holes through the granite-like (quartz monzonite) stone walls.
According to the news release from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Hollow, diamond-edged drill bits were attached to hollow drill rods five feet long and about two and a half inches in diameter. The drill rods were threaded and connected to form what are called drill strings.
“Through innovative engineering, the holes were kept within a parameter of three-eighths of an inch of the entire average cored depth of 150 feet. Four drills were placed by crane at the top of the temple towers to perform this feat. This process cut more than two and half miles of stone cores."
Through the first quarter the seismic work will continue, and it is predicted that most of the underground reinforced concrete structures will be completed.
There is a new statue, located north of the Tabernacle, that visitors can see. The Come, Follow Me statue, by Ben Hammond, features Christ calling his disciples to abandon their pursuits as fishermen "to abandon their pursuits as fishermen and follow Him." There will be more statues placed depicting Christ's life in 2025 and 2026.
The release states that "Much of Temple Square is open to the public. Patrons can view the construction progress on the Salt Lake Temple from the Main Street Plaza and Conference Center. Surrounding buildings on Temple Square remain open such as the Conference Center, Church History Museum, Tabernacle, Church History Library and Family Search Library."
To read the entire press release, visit https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/salt-lake-temple-open-house-celebration-dates